Treadle switch



oct. 2o, 1959 B. COOPER 2,909,628

TREADLE SWITCH Filed Nov. 5, 1957 FIGS.-

INVENTOR. BEM/4MM 60o/DER AGEA/7,:

UnitedStates Patent 2,909,628 TREADLE SWITCH Benjamin Cooper, Brooklyn,N.Y.

Application November 5, 1957, Serial No. 694,598

9 Claims. (Cl. 200`86) This invention relates generally to treadles and,in particular, to a novel multi-contact treadle that may be utilized foraccurately counting rolling articles such as vehicles, barrels, pipe,etc.

Heretofore, treadle switches generally consisted of a substantiallyrectangular rubber envelope that was disposed transversely to the movingobject so that the individual switch contacts therein wouldindependently close sequentially in the direction that the object moved.Such prlor treadles were conventionally constructed with the pairs ofswitch contacts disposed longitudinally in parallel spacedy relationwithin the rubber envelope. i The present invention generally comprisesa relatively inexpensive rubber envelope having a single longitudinallydisposed switch unit that functions in an analogous manner to the moreexpensive prior multi-contact treadles. Accordingly, one of theprincipal objects of the invention resides in the provision of aninexpensive multicontact treadle having a single switch unit thereinthat functions in a multi-contact manner.

Another object of the invention resides in a treadle having means forconcentrating switch closing pressure by an actuating object.

Still another object resides in the provision of a multicontact treadlehaving the plural switches therein removable as a single unit.

Yet another object is to provide a multi-contact treadle having acontact common to a plurality of independent contacts and said commoncontact being adapted to be resiliently engaged with said independentcontacts in directional sequential movement.

Other ancillary objects will be, in part, hereinafter pointed out andwill be, in part, hereinafter apparent.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the treadle.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the treadle showing the individualcontact connectors extending therethrough.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross section taken along line 3--3 of Figurel.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross section taken along line 4--4 of Figurel.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the contact elements.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the contact elements illustrating indotted line the closure action of the common contact.

Figure 7 is a plan View of a typical installation of the presentinvention wherein tubes roll down an inclined track and across thetreadle.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 generally designates a treadlecomprising a rubber envelope 12 having a hollow longitudinal pocket 14therein. Disposed longitudinally within pocket 14 is common contactstrip 16 which is afxed to portion of the envelope 12 forming the topwall of pocket 14. A single contact strip unit 18 is kpositioned undercommon contact strip 16 in spaced relation therefrom. Strip unit 18consists of a single length of rubber 20 that forms a base support forcontact seg- 2,909,628 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 28. Further, the raisedportions 20a of base 20 and adjacent ends of segments 22, 24, 26 and 28are disposed in biased angular relation to the longitudinal axis ofstrip 16 for a purpose hereinafter apparent.

Base support 20 and contact segments 22, 24, 26 and 28 `thereon ismolded with conductors 32, 34, 36 and 38 embedded therein. Theconductors are connected'to the respective contact segments 22, 24, 26and 2S for obvious reasons.

When assembled, strip unit 18 resides within pocket 14 and is secured bya binding agent to metal base plate 40. Envelope 12 is similarly adheredby a binding agent to the base plate 40.

The conductors 32, 34, 36 and 38 are embedded in a rubber plug `42 thatis vulcanized to the envelope 12 and seals the pocket 14 against water,dirt, etc.

It will be noted that envelope 12 is provided with a central raisedportion 44 that extends longitudinally on the upper surface thereof.Raised portion 44 is similarly positioned in aligned relation withcommon Contact strip 16 so that any pressure produced on said raisedportion will be transmitted through envelope 12 to common contact 16.The inherent resiliency of the envelope 12 flexes strip 16 in the mannershown in Figure 6 upon the application of a rolling pressure on raisedportion 44.

The biased angular shape of adjacent contact segments 22, 24, 26 and 28assures an accurate and extended closed contact period even with tubesor pipes of relatively small diameter that would not be otherwiseavailable if the segments terminated in linear transverse relation.

The invention claimed is:

1. A treadle switch comprising, in combination, a rubber envelope,having a longitudinal hollow core therein, a contact strip affixed tosaid rubber envelope along the upper wall of said hollow core, aplurality of aligned coplanar contact members disposed equidistantly inspaced relation from said rst contact member and affixed to the lowerWall of said hollow bore, individual conductor means connecting each ofsaid contact strips and terminating outside of said rubber envelope, andthe adjacent marginal edges of said plurality of contacts being disposedat an angle oblique to the longitudinal axis of the common contact.

2. A treadle switch comprising a rectangular rubber envelope having alongitudinal hollow core therein, a plurality of aligned co-planarcontact segments insulated and spaced one from the other, mounted withinsaid core, a common contact segment mounted within the core in spacedrelation from said co--planar contact segments, said rubber envelopebeing resiliently yieldable to the weight of an article rolling alongthe longitudinal axis thereof to sequentially engage said common contactsegment with the respective co-planar contact segments, and the adjacentmarginal edges of said plurality of contacts being disposed at an angleoblique to the longitudinal axis of the common contact.

3. A switch comprising a rubber envelope having a hollow core therein,a` plurality of contacts disposed within said hollow core, a commonContact adapted to engage said plurality of contacts upon pressure beingapplied to the portion of the rubber envelope above said hollow core,and the adjacent marginal edges of said plurality of contacts beingdisposed at an angle oblique to the longitudinal axis of the commoncontact.

4. A switch comprising a rubber envelope having a hollow core therein, aplurality of contacts disposed within said hollow core, a common contactadapted to engage said plurality of contacts upon pressure being appliedto the portion of the rubber envelope above said hollow core, saidrubber envelope having suicient inherent resiliency to restore saidcommon contact out of engagement-.withsaid plurality of'contactsupontheremoval of pressure from the. portion ofvthe envelope above said.core, and the adjacent marginal edges of=fsaid plurality of-icontacts.being disposed yaty an angle` oblique to the longitudinalaxis-ofthecommon contact.

5. Aswitch comprising a rubbervenvelope .having a longitudinalhollow-core therein,` a. plurality of contacts disposed inspacedalignedrelationwithin saidhollow core, a common contact aixed toItheupper wall of said hollow core extending yin aligned spaced relationalong said'plurality ofvcontacts, said common contact being adapted toengage` said plurality ofcontacts sequentiallyv upon pressure beingapplied by a. rolling. article to the portion of the rubber envelopeabove said hollow core, and the adjacent marginal edges `of saidplurality of contacts being'd-isposed at an angle oblique to thelongitudinal axisof the common contact.

6. A treadle switch comprising a rubber envelope hav-- ing alongitudinalY hollow core therein, aplurality of contacts secured to thelower wall of said hollow coreinv spaced relation, a common Contactsecured to the upper wall of said hollow core and spaced from saidplurality of contacts, said rubber envelope having a raised externalportion co-aligning with said longitudinal hollow core whereby anarticle rolling along said raised portion will sequentially engage saidcommon contact with the respecf tive contactsin said plurality ofcontacts, and the adjacent marginal edges of said plurality of contactsbeing disposed at an angle oblique to the longitudinal axis of thecommon contact.

7. A rubber covered switch comprising a rubber envelope, a hollow coretherein,'a common contact member disposed .longitudinallyalongutheupper..wallk .of said..

contact members, and the! edges ofeach adjacent contact member in saidplurality of contact members being disposed parallel one to the other atan angle oblique to the longitudinal axis of said common contact member.

9. A multi-contact treadle switch comprising, in combination, aplurality ofco-planar longitudinallyY Aaligned Contact -members "spacedone' from the other; a common Contact member, means for-spacing saidcommoncontact member in spaced planar relation-from-said pluralityiofcontact members, andfthe edgeslofk each"adjacent :contact member in;said `plurality -o "contact members vbeing, dis-V posed parallel one tothe other atan angle `oblique to the longitudinal axis -of4 said-VVVcommorrcontact member' and a rubber envelope surrounding-said'treadle'switch" References -Cted'inthe le .of Vthis patent UNITED STATES,PATENTS..

2,067,336 Payer 7 Ian:v 12,' 1937 2,163,960 Payer June2r7, 1939A2,583,813- Burke- Ian. 29, 1952`

